The Decision To Go to College: Attitudes and Experiences Associated with College Attendance Among Low-Income Students.

King, Jacqueline E.

A survey investigated the attitudes and experiences that distinguish the low-income high school students who decide to attend college from those who do not. Data were gathered in a telephone survey of 900 seniors in the class of 1995 who took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT); the primary sample was 300 of those students who reported family incomes under $20,000. Data included student characteristics (gender, race, native language), family income, parents' educational level, parents' occupations, SAT scores, post-high school plans, sources of college and financing information, academic self-confidence (in mathematics, science, writing), degree aspiration, influences in college decision-making, preferred college attributes, college preparation, sources of and plans for financing college, and college acceptances. Results are reported in narrative and tabular form. The study found that rigorous high school courses, high expectations of all students, and availability of college counseling and information were important elements in the decision to go to college. Many of the attitudes and educational experiences associated with four-year college attendance were not common to the low-income students. (MSE)